MAN UTD 2 VIDIC (31), NANI (84) V. TOTTENHAM 0
30 OCTOBER 2010 OLD TRAFFORD ATTENDANCE: 75,223
Goals of contrasting simplicity from Nemanja Vidic and Nani gave United a crucial, hard-fought victory over Tottenham at Old Trafford.
Skipper Vidic flashed home a header from Nani's superb free-kick just after the half-hour mark, before the winger slotted in a bizarre clincher; tapping home after Heurelho Gomes had surrendered possession to take a free-kick which Mark Clattenburg and his officials had failed to award.
The Portuguese had clearly handled the ball as he appealed for an apparent penalty, but Clattenburg's decision not to stop play and Gomes' attempts to line up a set-piece married in bizarre circumstances. Nani looked to the referee to see the state of play, was encouraged to play on and slotted home a simple finish.
Old Trafford cannot have witnessed a goal of such absurdity often in its century, but fortunately Vidic's earlier goal should negate the majority of the inevitable controversy which will follow. The goal and its slapstick circumstances detracted from an otherwise compelling game between two fine sides.
In the continued absence of Wayne Rooney, Sir Alex Ferguson once again paired Dimitar Berbatov with on-song Mexican newcomer Javier Hernandez upfront, against a Spurs backline deprived by injury of mainstays Ledley King and Michael Dawson. In their stead, William Gallas and Younes Kaboul paired in the heart of the visitors’ defence.
Pre-match talk had suggested that Harry Redknapp was contemplating resting in-form left-winger, Gareth Bale, ahead of his side’s vital Champions League encounter with Internazionale. The Welshman was indeed fielded, but Redknapp nevertheless sprung a surprise by starting Robbie Keane – as captain – ahead of Peter Crouch.
Both sides’ pre-match planning almost required a quick rethink when, inside the first 90 seconds, Ji-sung Park latched onto Darren Fletcher’s pass, bore down on goal and hit a low shot which thudded against Heurelho Gomes’ right-hand post and away to safety.
When Nani drew a low save from Gomes moments later, Tottenham could easily have buckled under United’s early pressure. Instead they hit back. It took a superb saving challenge from Darren Fletcher to dispossess Lennon as he slalomed towards goal, before the impressive van der Vaart pounced on a Vidic slip, saw off the attentions of Michael Carrick and smashed a superb 25-yard effort against Edwin van der Sar’s right-hand post.
With both sides suitably aware of the other’s threat, the game continued in absorbing, see-saw fashion. Park and Rafael both fired comfortably off-target from slight openings, before Spurs nearly profited from poor officiating when Bale retrieved the ball after it had gone into touch. Only the quick thinking of van der Sar, who rushed from his line to block, spared a controversial opening goal.
Instead, when it came, the opener was as simple and straightforward as they come. Kaboul’s foul on Chicharito drew a clear free-kick and a yellow card. Nani’s superb delivery of the set-piece was met perfectly by Vidic who, having shed Assou-Ekotto, powered his header inside Gomes’ right-hand post.
The skipper’s second goal of the season did little to dampen Tottenham’s enthusiasm for the game, and the visitors could quickly have drawn level. Van der Vaart’s chipped corner picked out Modric on the edge of the United area, and the Croatian’s half-volley was bound for the top corner until van der Sar superbly parried it away.
Although Berbatov twice prompted routine saves from Gomes in the remaining minutes of the half, the interval came and went with Tottenham firmly in the game.
The second period began with United more likely to add to the lead than surrender it. Superb link-up play between Park and Chicharito culminated in the latter shooting well wide, before Nani’s cheeky, improvised chip tested the attention levels of Gomes.
Just before the hour-mark, however, Bale demonstrated the inspiration behind his recent hype with a lung-busting run which traversed the field and left a string of defenders in his wake. Fortunately for United, the Welshman’s attempted finish was on his weaker right foot, and comfortably skirted the far upright.
The game descended further into a tactical battle as Sir Alex Ferguson rejigged his formation into a 4-5-1, replacing Berbatov with Paul Scholes and swapping Wes Brown for Rafael in a bid to stem Tottenham’s growing menace down the left flank. Harry Redknapp responded with the introduction of, at various stages, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Wilson Palacios and Peter Crouch.
The first of the trio, Pavlyuchenko, inspired a hushed silence 16 minutes from time when his powerful 30-yard effort clipped Vidic and skidded just past the upright, with a wrong-footed van der Sar rooted to the spot.
A second goal was required, but nobody could have foreseen the bizarre circumstances in which it arrived with six minutes remaining. Nani latched onto Brown's delightful clipped pass and was apparently tripped by Assou-Ekotto. As the Stretford End bayed for a penalty and Nani stopped the ball with his hand, referee Clattenburg waved play to continue.
Prompted by Nani's clear offence, Gomes grounded the ball as if to take a free-kick. Once Nani had curtailed his appeals to Clattenburg, he noticed the ball - motionless but in open play - and looked to the referee, who gestured to play on. The winger duly did so, placing a finish under the scrambling dive of Gomes. Tottenham protested long, loud and in vain as an impromptu conference between Clattenburg and his linesman concluded that the goal should stand.
Nani almost put the seal on victory with a spectacular third goal in injury-time, but his fizzing left-footed drive bounced away off the top of the crossbar. The majority of the headlines had already been grabbed by his bizarre tap-in, which will overshadow a fine personal display, and an absolutely vital victory for United, who have now won back-to-back Premier League games for the first time this season.
Credit: Manchester United Ltd
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